Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!unmvax!ncar!noao!asuvax!mcdphx!mcdchg!upba!unocss!mlewis
From: mlewis@unocss.UUCP (Marcus S. Lewis)
Newsgroups: comp.os.misc
Subject: Re: Unix bigotry
Summary: all of that?
Message-ID: <653@unocss.UUCP>
Date: 3 Feb 89 02:29:08 GMT
References: <1135@raspail.UUCP> <476@cvbnet2.UUCP>
Organization: U. of Nebraska at Omaha
Lines: 27

In article <476@cvbnet2.UUCP>, aperez@cvbnet2.UUCP (Arturo Perez Ext.) writes:
[much deleted about acls and such]
> About the only operating system which had all these features together
> was multics but it is going the way of the dinosaurs :-(

I have worked with Data General computers for the last 5 years, and I take
exception to the statement that only multics has had ACL's and real protections
etc.  AOS/VS has been around since 1979 with the advent of the MV series of
processors, and is a natural (virtual) extension of AOS, which is substantially
older.  ACL's are part of the file structure, and indeed are a large part of an
average file's overhead information.  I can select Owner, Write, Append, Read,
or Execute access on a file by file basis, and I have yet to exceed the capacity
of the file system for handling complex ACL's.  We disable access to the 
computer every night by changing the ACL on the users' login directories, but
since we go by first name for usernames, we can't use wildcards, so the entire
programming staff (12 of us) are listed individually on the access control list
for the User Directory Directory.  If I log in as OP, there are many things I
can't do without becoming Superuser (a privilege, not a user).  The superuser
privilege does completely bypass the ACL structure (as indicated by timing
tests).  This does create a hole in the security of the system, but AOS/VS is
certified secure to some high level (details, details...)
My point?  VMS, Multics, and Unix, while popular, are not the only usable
operating systems around.  DG has been making systems that are fast, reliable,
and secure for a long time.  And they are fun to use, most of the time.

Non-standard disclaimer:  I don't work for DG, but I'm available....
Marc Lewis